SCV to see highs up to 111 degrees Sunday

Some relief in sight for Independence Day next week

English bulldog Sammie looks on as 4-year-old brothers Tyler, left, and Brandon Brian of Castaic fill water balloons with their front yard hose on Friday. Signal photo by Dan Watson

A blazing heat wave threatened to ground airplanes in Phoenix and sent rangers to Lake Mead trailheads to turn back hikers Friday as Santa Clarita Valley residents prepared for highs up to 111 degrees this weekend.

The National Weather Service recorded highs of 102 in the Newhall Pass on Friday, but the mercury was due to climb as high as 107 degrees Saturday and 111 on Sunday, forecasters said.

The National Weather Service issed an excessive heat warning for the Santa Clarita Valley.

Some relief is due for the Independence Day holiday. Monday is expected to start a cooling trend with highs of 106, and by the Fourth of July residents can expect temperatures in the lower 90s for the Santa Clarita Fourth of July Parade in Newhall and fireworks shows in Stevenson Ranch, Castaic and Valencia.

Desert areas like Las Vegas and Phoenix were hardest hit Friday, with temperatures approaching the 134-degree reading from a century ago that stands as the highest temperature ever recorded on Earth.

The heat was so punishing that zookeepers in Phoenix hosed down the elephants and fed tigers frozen fish snacks. Tourists at California’s Death Valley took photos of the harsh landscape and a thermometer that read 121.

“You have to take a picture of something like this. Otherwise no one will believe you,” said Laura McAlpine, visiting Death Valley from Scotland.

The scorching weather presented problems for airlines because high temperatures can make it more difficult for planes to take off. Hot air reduces lift and also hurts engine performance.

Planes taking off in the heat may need longer runways or may have to shed weight by carrying less fuel.

Smaller jets and propeller planes are more likely to be affected than big airliners, officials said.

“This is the hottest time of the year, but the temperatures that we’ll be looking at for Friday through Sunday, they’ll be toward the top,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Mark O’Malley. “It’s going to be baking hot across much of the entire West.”

The heat is the result of a high-pressure system brought on by a shift in the jet stream, the high-altitude air current that dictates weather patterns. The jet stream has been more erratic in the past few years.

While the heat in Las Vegas is expected to peak Sunday, it’s unlikely to sideline the first round of the four-week Bikini Invitational tournament.

“I feel sorry for those poor girls having to strut themselves in 115 degrees, but there’s $100,000 up for grabs,” said Hard Rock casino spokeswoman Abigail Miller. “I think the girls are willing to make the sacrifice.”